Artillery trainer



Feb. 14,, 11950 c, JEFFERS 2,497,085

ARTILLERY TRAINER Filed Oct. 5, 1945 4 Sheets-Sheet l I N VEN TOR. mELDYTUNHJEFFEHS Feb. 11 1950 c. H. JEFFERS 2,497,085

ARTILLERY TRAINER Filed Oct. 5, 1945 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 I N V EN TOR.

[45* mm HJEFFEAE BY yflwmflowizw Feb. 14, 1950 c. H. JEFFERS 2,497,035

ARTILLERY TRAINER Filed Oct. 5, 1945 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 l IE? JNVENTOR.

Cm mA/HJEFFER5 BY M/mmw/am Feb. 14, 11950 c. H. JEFFERS 2,497,085

ARTILLERY TRAINER Filed Oct. 5, 1945 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 INVEN TOR.

Q3 CL /avm/vfi JEFFERE R. W/ Mfff/M Errvs Patented Feb. 14, 1950 UNITEDSTATES PATENT OFFICE (Granted under the act of March 3, 1883, as amendedApril 30, 1928; 370 0. G. 757) 6 Claims.

The invention described herein may be manufactured and used by or forthe Government for governmental purposes, without the payment to me ofany royalty thereon.

This invention relates to an artillery trainer of the type in which anartillery weapon is simulated in construction and operation for thepurpose of training artillery personnel in the function of loading suchweapon.

The invention contemplates and has for its principal object theprovision of a training device comprising means simulating a gun tubeand breech mechanism having a breechblock mounted for opening andclosing. The gun tube comprises a pair of separable sections from whichthe ammunition may be unloaded laterally instead of axially. The primepurpose for such training device is to provide an apparatus whichsimulates as closely as possible an actual artillery weapon so that theweapon itself is spared the wear and tear incident to simulated loadingand firing functions. It will be appreciated that if a weapon itself iscontinually loaded and unloaded the breech mechanism thereof would beworn to the extent that it would be useless for actual firing.Furthermore, the weapon itself cannot be easily unloaded so that theammunition can be successively loaded thereinto.

According to the present invention the simulated gun tube comprises apair of separable sections into which the ammunition may be loaded. Whenthe breechblock is closed, the sections separate so that the ammunitionmay be easily unloaded therefrom and reloaded into the gun tube forsuccessive cycles of operation.

An important object of the invention is to provide a training apparatusparticularly useful in the handling of ammunition of the separate loadig type, in which the projectile and propellin charge are separatecomponents.

The invention has for another object the provision of means comprising abase and a main frame mounted on the base for simulating elevation anddepression of the gun tube.

A still further object of the invention is to provide means simulating agun tube and including a portion adapted to retain the proiectile untilthe pro elling charge has been loaded and the breechblock closed, and toinclude means responsive to closing of the breechblock for releasing theprojectile and propelling charge to a position from which thosecomponents may be readily removed and returned to the gun crew forfurther simulated loading.

The foregoing and other objects and features of the invention willbecome apparent as the disclosure is more fully made in the followingdetailed description and accompanying sheets of drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is a side elevational view of a preferred form of the trainingapparatus, the position of the separable gun tube being indicated inbroken lines;

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the same;

Fig. 3 is a rear or breech-end view of the same;

Fig. 4 is a longitudinal sectional view, on an enlarged scale, of thegun tube and breech mechanism construction, the view being taken alongthe line 1-4 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary plan view of the rear or breech-end portion ofthe apparatus showing the structure and function of the breechblock inconnection with the means for releasing the separable sections of thegun tube;

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary side elevational view showing the meansproviding for simulated elevation of the apparatus;

Fig. '7 is a rear end elevation of the projectilereceiving portion ofthe simulated gun tube;

Fig. 8 is a rear end elevation of the lower portion of the simulated guntube; and

Fig. 9 is a rear end elevation of the upper sec,-

tion of the simulated gun tube.

The particular embodiment of the invention chosen for the purposes ofillustration herein comprises a generally horizontal base it including apair of longitudinally running converging side frame members H rigidlycross connected at their forward ends by a transverse horizontal platel2 and rigidly cross connected at their rear ends by a transverse barl3. The forward end of the base Ill includes a pair of transverselyspaced upright plates I 4, each of which is provided with a plurality ofopenings l5 formed on a transverse axis. The components just describedare preferably rigidly secured together as by welding.

The base It! serves to support a main frame indicated in general by thereference numeral Hi. This main frame comprises a pair of forwardlyconverging longitudinally running lower side frame members 11; a pair offorward vertical uprights 8; a pair of upwardly converging frame membersl9; and a pair of transversely spaced, forwardly and downwardly inclinedbracing members 29. The rear frame members (9 are rigidly crossconnected by a transverse vertical plate 2!, the upper portion of whichis arcuately cut out to receive and conform to means simulating a guntube of a standard artillery weapon.

This means is indicated generally in the drawings by the numeral 22 andcomprises a rear portion having an upper section 23 and a lower section24. The rear portion of the gun tube further includes structuresimulating breech mechanism, as indicated generally at 25. The breechmechanism includes a circular breech ring 26 and a breechblock 21. Thebreechblock is pivoted on a vertical axis 28 for opening and closing.The interior of the breechblock is herein shown as the interrupted screwtype and is provided with an operating handle 29 for opening and closingthe breechblock. The upper section 23 of the gun tube 22 issubstantially cylindrical and tubular at its rear end, as at 39, and itsforward portion is semicylindrical in cross section as at 3| (Fig. 9).The cylindrical rearward portion of the section 23 has rigidly securedthereto, as by welding, a circular flange 3|a. This flange is rigidlysecured, as by bolts 32, to the front face of the breech mechanism 25.The longitudinal axis of the section 23 is, of course, coincident withthe longitudinal axis of the interior of the breech mechanism. Thebreech mechanism is rigidly carried by the upper portion of the mainframe l5, through the medium of the rear uprights I9, the brace members20, and the transverse plate 2|. The forward end of the section 23 isrigidly carried by the upper portions of the front uprights l8, atransverse supporting member 33 rigidly the gun tube is provided at itsrear end with a pair of complementary ears 3! transversely bored toreceive the pin 36. This structure provides means by which the lowersection is pivotally carried by the upper section for vertical swingingmovement. In'other words, the lower section is downwardly separable fromthe upper section. The forward end of the upper section is provided witha transversely extending stub shaft 38 comprising part of a bracket 39rigidly secured, as by welding, to the upper section 23. The lowersection carries rigidly thereon at a point below the bracket 39 a hookor latch member 49. An arm 4| is rockably carried by the stub shaft 38and has a lower hooked portion which normally engages the under portionof the latch member 40. The upper end of the arm 4| is pivotallyconnected to a clevis 42 carried at the end of a longitudinally runningrod 43. An intermediate portion of the upper section 23 of the gun tubeis provided with a laterally extending integrally formed bracket 44which has an upstanding sup porting portion 45. The portion 45 isprovided with a transversely inwardly extending apertured ear 46 throughwhich the operating rod 43 passes. The circular plate at the rear end ofthe breech mechanism is bored longitudinally as at 41 and slidablyreceives the rear end of the rod 43. The rod 43 carries thereon, at apoint rearwardly of the apertured car 46, a stop collar 48. A coiledcompression spring 49 is interposed between the forward face of thecollar 48 and the rearward face of the apertured ear 46. The action ofthe spring is such that extension thereof urges the rod rearwardly withthe result that when the breechblock is open the rearward portion of therod 43 projects through the bore 41 in the breech ring 25 and maintainsengagement of the arm 4| with the hook on the lower gun tube section 24(Fig. 5). Thus, when the breechblock 21 is closed, it will engage theprojecting end of the rod 43 and will move the rod forwardly againsttension of the spring 49. This action will swing the arm 4| in aclockwise direction as seen in Figure l and will release the hookedlower end thereof from the latch member 40 on the gun tube section 24.

As previously stated, the trainer herein illustrated is adaptedprimarily for use in training battery personnel in the loading ofammunition of the type comprising a projectile and a separate propellingcharge. The apparatus is therefore provided with a forward extensionmember 50 having semicircular shape and being rigidly carried at one endby the main frame members l8 and 33 in axial alignment with, and ineffect a longitudinal continuation of, the upper gun tube section 23.The extension member 50 is provided with a pair of upper forwardlyconverging reinforcing ribs or wings 5| and has at its extreme forwardend a circular end member 52. The end member carries at its inner face astop pad 53. This pad may be formed of any suitable material, such assoft metal, rubber or the like, and serves as a shock-absorbing elementagainst which a projectile may abut when rammed axially into and throughthe gun chamber 22. When the gun tube, which includes the forwardextension 50 as part thereof, is loaded with the two components of around of separate-loading ammunition, the projectile, herein designatedby the numeral 54, enters the forward extension 50 and the powder bagcontaining the propelling charge, herein designated by the numeral 55,is carried by the lower section 24 and is contained within the separablelower and upper sections.

The forward portions of the upper and lower sections 23 and 24respectively carry complementary halves of separable jaw sections 56 and51 for gripping the rear end of the projectile 54. The jaw sections areinteriorly tapered so that the projectile is guided therethrough andinto the forward extension 50. When the lower section 24 is latched innormal position by the arm 4|, the jaws 55 and 51 prevent the projectile54 from dropping downwardly through the open under side of the forwardextension 50. When the breechblock 21 is closed, the rod 43 is actuatedto release the latch arm 4| and the lower gun tube section 24 swingsdownwardly. The projectile 54 is released to drop by gravity to a tray58 rigidly carried by the forward end of the main frame l6 andappropriately supported as by brace members 59. The tray 58 is furthersupported by a forward plate 86 secured at its lower end to the tray andsecured at its upper end to the end member 52 of the forward extension50. A shield BI is positioned at one side of the tray 58 to confine thedropping projectile ag-ainst improper discharge. The tray 58 slopesslightly to the left 7 so that ready access may be had to the droppedframe members ll, serves as a pivot by means of which the main frame H5is mounted on the base it! for vertical swinging about a transverseaxis. A transverse rod 64 is passed through transversely alignedapertures in the forward ends of the frame members l'. and through thelower apertures H) in the upright plates l4 when the apparatus is set atzero elevation. As shown in Fig. 6, the main frame may be elevated toeither of two positions, in which case the transverse rod 64 isoptionally received by the upper or intermediate apertures [5 in theplates M.

The preferred form of invention herein disclosed includes means forreturning the lower gun tube section 24 to normal position after it hasbeen released by closing of the breechblock 21. In the present instancethis means takes the form of a counter-weight 65 suspended at one end ofa cable 66. The cable is trained over a sheave or pulley 61 rotatablycarried on a bracket 68 at one side of the upper transverse frame member33. The other end of the cable 65 is anchored in a bracket 69 carriedrigidl at the proximate side of the lower gun tube section 24.

The apparatus includes counterbalance means for the breechblock 21. Theupper end of the supporting post or portion 45 is provided with avertical pivot H! on which is carried a cylinder 'H, the forward end ofthe cylinder being provided with an appropriate bracket l2 for pivotalmounting on the pivot 18. The cylinder contains a suitablecounterbalance mechanism, preferably of the spring and plunger type, andhas a rearward- 1y extending piston rod 13 formed with a clevis M. Theclevis is connected by a vertical pivot 15 to a block 16 adjustablycarried in a normally transversely extending slot in a bracket l1. Anadjusting bolt 18 is carried by the bracket 1! and is threaded throughthe block it so that the position of the block may be varied in the slotin the bracket. The bracket '51 is carried at the upper end of an upperextension E9 of the breechblock pivot 28 and is so mounted that itswings when the breechblock is opened and closed (Figs. 2 and 5). Whenthe breechblock is opened it assumes the position shown in Fig. 5, inwhich instance relationship between the cylinder H and pivots ll], 15and i5 is such to provide an overcenter lock that will maintain thebreechblock in open position. When the breechblock is moved initiallytoward closing, the action of the counterbalance mechanism will assistin the closing operation and will further serve to keep the breechblockclosed.

Operation In the use of the trainer for the purpose of in structingbattery personnel in the fundamentals of loading an artillery weapon,the main frame I6 is set at the desired elevation on the base Hi, thisresult being accomplished by means of the adjustment provided b thtransverse openings l5 in the upright plates l4 and the transversesupporting rod 64 at the front ends of the lower main frame members l7.When the breechblock 2'! is swung open, the compression spring 49 on therelease rod 43 will act against the collar 58 to project the rear end ofthe rod at through the breech ring 26 (Fig. 5). This action will lockthe latch arm 4| under the hook member 49 and will hold the lower guntube section 24 against dropping downwardly. It will be understood ofcourse that, in the absence of ammunition in the gun chamber, thecounterweight 65 will hold the lower section against separation. Theaction of the counter-balance mechanism in the cylinder II will keep thebreechblock in its open position.

The ammunition used in the simulated loading operation is preferablycomposed of dummy components and in the present instance is of theseparate-loading type in which the projectile 54 is separate from thepowder bag 55. The projectile 54 is loaded through the open breech andis rammed forwardly until it occupies the position in Fig. 4. The buffermember 53 at the forward end of the extension to will stop theprojectile and the rear end portion of the projectile will be retainedby the complementary half rings 56 and 5'! carried by the upper andlower gun tube sections 23 and 24 respectively. The powder bag 5% willthen be loaded into the gun tube. When the breechblock is slammed shutit will force the release rod 43 forwardly and will pivot the latch armti out of engagement with the hook member 35, allowing the lower guntube section 24 to drop to the position shown in broken lines in Fig. l.The weights of the projectile and powder bag are sufficient to overcomethe counterweight 65. The projectile 54 will, of course, drop downwardlyand will be caught by the tray 58. The padding material 63 will serve toabsorb the shock of the dropping projectile.

At the same time the lower gun tube section will have moved to itsdownwardly tilted position, the movement thereof being braked somewhatby action of the counterweight 65. Other battery trainees may thenunload the projectile 54 and powder bag 55 from the tray 58 and lowergun tube section 25, respectively, so that another round may be loadedinto the simulated gun tube after the lower gun tube section, havingbeen relieved of the weight of the powder bag 55, returns to normalposition. It is probably preferable that a separate crew be provided forthe sole purpose of unloading the ammunition dropped after thebreechblock is closed. This procedure will permit loading personnel tocontinue loading as rapidly as possible.

One of the most important features of the preferred embodiment of theinvention herein illustrated and described is that unloading of therounds of ammunition may take place in a direction transverse to thelongitudinal axis of the gun tube structure. It will be appreciated thatthe ability of the trainer to function in this manner is far moredesirable than structure in which axial unloading is required. Otherfeatures of perhaps greater or lesser importance will appear to thoseskilled in the art. It will be understood, of course, that the foregoingdescription and drawings pertain to only a preferred embodiment of theinvention and that various modifications and alterations may be madetherein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention asdefined in the appended claims.

What is claimed is: I

1. An artillery trainer for use with ammunition of the type having aprojectile and a separate propelling charge, comprising a generallyhorizontal base, a main fram mounted on said base, means simulating agenerally horizontal longitudinal gun chamber at an upper portion ofsaid main frame said means including a generally semi-cylindrical uppersection and a generally semi-cylindrical lower section, means rigidlymounting said upper section on said main frame, means pivotally mountingsaid lower section on said upper section for pivoting downwardly fromsaid upper section about a generally horizontal transverse axis at therear end of said lower section to provide for removal of the propelling7 charge therefrom, means including a releasable latch normally holdingsaid lower section in cooperating chamber-forming relation with saidupper section, means forming a generally longitudinal extension on saidupper section for housing the ammunition projectile, there being anopening in the under side of said extension through which saidprojectile may drop, cooperating means on said sections for gripping theprojectile to retain the same in position in said extension until saidlower section is released for downward tilting, means on said main framebelow said extension for catching the projectile when dropped, meanssimulating breech mechanism associated with said gun chamber andincluding a breechblock mounted for opening and closing, means operablein response to closing of said breechblock for releasing said latch tothereby release said lower section from said upper section, and meansincluding a counterweight for returning said lower section to normalposition upon the unloading of ammunition therefrom.

2. In an artillery training device, a frame, an upper, generallyhorizontal semi-cylindrical member fixed in said frame, a lowersemicylindrical member pivoted at its rear end to said upper member on anormally horizontal transverse axis and pivotable downwardly from afirst position closed against said upper section, to a second downwardlyand forwardly inclined position, said lower member when in first position, cooperating with said upper section to form a cylindrical gunchamber, and when in second position forming a downwardly and forwardlydirected chute, said lower section when in first position coacting withsaid upper section to grip a projectile at their forward ends, abreechblock pivoted on said frame rearwardly of and aligned with saidsections, releasable latch means normally holding said lower section infirst position, and means releasing said latch means in response tomovement of said breechblock to closed position.

3. An artillery trainer for use with ammunition of the type having aprojectile and a separate propelling charge, comprising a base, a mainframe mounted on said base, means simulating a generally horizontallongitudinal gun chamber on said main frame and including an uppersection and a separable lower section adapted to receive the ammunitionpropelling charge, means rigidly mounting said upper section on saidmain frame, means mounting said lower section on said upper section forseparation downwardly from said upper section, means including areleasable latch normally holding said sections together, means forminga generally longitudinal extension on said upper section for receiving aprojectile, means forming an opening in the under side of said extensionthrough which said projectile may drop, jaw means carried by the forwardends of the respective sections and cooperable between said sections forretaining of the projectile within said extension, said jaw meansreleasing said projectile when said lower section is released, meanssimulating breech mechanism associated with said gun chamber andincluding a breechblock mounted for opening iii and closing, meansoperable in response to closing of said breechblock for releasing saidlatch to free said lower section from said upper section, and meansincluding a counterweight for returning said lower section to normalposition upon the unloading of ammunition by gravity therefrom.

4. In an artillery training device, a frame, an upper chamber sectionfixedly carried by said frame, said upper section bein generallysemicircular in cross section, a lower section pivoted to said uppersection, at the rear end thereof, on a normally horizontal axistransversely of said sections, said sections cooperating to form apowder chamber when said lower section is closed against said uppersection, a releasable latch operable in one position to hold said lowersection in chamber-forming position and in a second position to releasesaid lower section and permit the same to pivot downwardly in responseto gravity, to discharge a powder bag therefrom, said sections havingcooperating jaws at their forward ends to grip and hold a projectilethereetween only when said lower section is in chamber-forming position,a breechblock carried by said frame and movable to open and close therear end of said chamber, and means responsive to movement of saidbreechblock to closed position to move said releasable latch to secondposition.

5. In an artillery trainer, means comprising upper and lower sections,said lower section being pivoted at its rear end to said upper section,upon a normally horizontal axis transverse to said sections, saidsections cooperating to form a powder-receiving chamber when said lowersection is pivoted upwardly into closed position with respect to saidupper section, the forward ends of said sections cooperating to grip andsupport a projectile therebetween when said sections are inchamber-forming relation, and latch means releasably holding saidsections in chamber-forming relation.

6. In a device as recited in claim 2, and a chute carried by said frameand forming a downwardly and forwardly directed continuation of saidlower section when the latter is in second position, whereby a simulatedprojectile and propelling charge loaded into said device, are conveyedto a common location forwardly of the device on closure of saidbreechblock.

CLAYTON H. JEFFERS.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 378,162 Chainay Feb. 21, 1888768,869 Symons Aug. 30, 1904 1,803,064 Karnes Apr. 28, 1931 2,441,218Bialek May 11, 1948 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 178,592Switzerland Oct. 1, 1935 232,735 Germany 1911

